One downside of long overseas trips is separation from the grands, so we always try to make like chipmunks: stow away enough grandkid nuggets to last until we get home. That’s what we did this weekend in preparation for our upcoming trip to Southeast Asia
It began with Friday night football and Reagan. She’s s a freshman at good old Bedford High where she marches in the band playing alto sax. The highlight was the third quarter: the band takes a break and she was gracious enough to sit with us. Bedford won but we were the big winners.
Saturday morning found us in Melrose, MA for second-grader Esme’s soccer game. It was a beautiful Fall morning, we chatted with Rebecca, played with Griffin on the sidelines, and watched Esme run, play defense and even score goal.
Next up: we scored an invite to Griffin’s friend Everet’s birthday party at the Davis Square bowling alley (Somerville, near Boston). Esme and her friend Walter were there too. A slice of pizza and proof once again that I bowl just like I golf (some to the right, some to the left and enough down the middle to fool me into coming back for more).
A real treat was the Saturday night three-kid sleepover (Carter, Griffin and Esme – Reagan was at a teenager Halloween party, sigh). Mac and cheese, a four-course dessert (don’t ask), a card game and some action game the kids made up. Judy and I never figured out the kids’ game except it entailed, as usual, throwing seat cushions across the room and jumping on the sofas. But Nana didn’t yell “Stop. I can’t take it anymore!” Until almost 8:30. The highlight was when we asked, “Griffin, who would you like to read you your bedtime story?” Without hesitation Griffin shouted, “Carter!”. And Carter graciously complied.
We were on the road by 6 AM to return Carter to his folks so they could get to Laconia, NH in time for warmups for his football league playoff game. Then off at 7:30 to return Esme and Griffin to their dad to go to Gramma and Papa Longo’s. That gave us time to get to Laconia in time for The 10:00 AM kickoff. Carter’s Bulldogs won convincingly, despite a pretty steady downpour. By noon Jeff, Lisa and Carter were off for Carter’s 2 PM hockey game in Durham, NH.
Judy and I drove back to Bedford to pick up Reagan for our luncheon date. We did Thai in Londonderry and had a delightful time discussing school ( all honors courses for Reagan, may we brag), travel, philosophy and sports. She’s an exceptional young lady and someone Judy and I value as a loving and caring granddaughter and friend.
So that’s it. We still have a dozen days to top off our tanks but we’ve got a good start on our storehouse of grandkid memories to see us through!